2 door sedans of '81

[Kira]

There was no love for any US cars in the '70's and '80's though we bought 'em. They were garbagy then and everyone knew it.
"Why can't we build cars with VW quality?", was the perennially asked question.

 

[Propflux01]

There was no love for any US cars in the '70's and '80's though we bought 'em. They were garbagy then and everyone knew it.
"Why can't we build cars with VW quality?", was the perennially asked question.

We.bought them because they looked cool. And had way more room than an “import”. Not to mention a smooth V8/V6 vs a buzzy 4 cyl. Americans just couldn’t get used to smaller cars back then.

 

[GON]

1977 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ​

1981 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ​

I much prefer the 1977 over the 1981

 

[carviewsonic]

Trip down memory lane for me. These cars were new on the lot when I was graduated from high school. My BF and I visited the dealer lots on a few Sunday afternoons, 7-11 Big Gulps in hand, and gravitate to the Camaros, Firebirds and Mustangs. We liked the full size RWD GM coupes too, which was maybe kind of odd for young guys. Couldn't afford any of them yet.

 

[JTK]

I had an 86 wagon with the carb. But I got it (used) because the new ones had that EFI and a test drive made a big impression on me. I ended up getting pretty down on my escort, but the EFI model had great manners when I drove it. Did you like that one?

That really was such a game changer when they went to throttle body and/or multi port with the little 4-bangers. My carbureted 1985 Ford EXP w/ (IIRC 1.6L engine?) and 5MT was always finicky. Never left me stranded, but sometimes the choke would not release and it would often spit/pop through the intake and/or exhaust depending on how you drove it. A lot of exhaust crackle if you downshifted.

Went through one cracked cylinder head with it (leaked coolant and ran like crap) and the one time it did leave me stranded, the T-belt driven water pump seized up and sheared all the rubber teeth off the timing belt. Luckily it wasn't a valve crasher engine..

 

[addyguy]

The mid-size GM cars (Malibu, Cutlass, Grand Prix) were everywhere when I was growing up. Dad had a ‘78 Malibu wagon that wasn’t great, got driven to school in an Omega or a Grand Prix coupe everyday….there were so many of them, it was hit or miss, some were perfectly reliable, some not even close.
I do remember as thet got older, the coupes with the big doors had door sagging problems!

 

[ET16]

To my recollection, most of those cars drove fine. They were just slow.

 

[mccandish]

A 1980 Cutlass I owned in the mid-80's. Although the 260 V8 was anemic, it was reliable and quiet - many a passenger told me, "Hey, your car died." when I'd pull to a stop - nope, just quiet and vibration free. The BFG Radial T/A's were absolutely horrible, but they added 20 HP The car served me well until I sold it off in the late 80's.